Posts Tagged ‘Patrick Brandmeyer’

It is with great excitement that we are presenting the 2013 MWR Yearbook.

Since 2008 Missouri Wrestling Revival has supported the men and women in pro wrestling in the Midwest. Throughout the past 6 years we have had the support and assistance of many great people. From the promoters that work hard to promote shows with their hard earned money and deliver an exciting night for fans to remember to the wrestlers that have driven miles and miles down the road each and every weekend. We have worked closely during the years with many of the top writers, photographers, artist and fans that have true love and respect for the sport.

Each year the yearbook in my opinion is a testament for all the hard work that everyone has done to keep pro wrestling alive in the Midwest. No matter if you have contributed to the yearbook or MWR website this year or if the last time was when the site first opened, please know that you are part of the MWR family and a positive reason for the success of the site.

The 2013 MWR Yearbook returns with the Artist of Champions Rob Schamberger once again painting and designing the cover feature the 2013 MWR Year end Award Recipients.

For the low price of 19.95 on Amazon.com this book is filled with over 650 photos and over 300 pages.

To put that in perspective the cost of this book is only .7 cents per page!!

If that is not enough for you to purchase the book the cover of the the 2013 MWR Yearbook features the return of “The Artist of Champions” Rob Schamberger ,painting and designing the cover feature the 2013 MWR Award Recipients.

The World League Wrestling Tag Team Champions the Black Hand Warriors (David Delorean and Michael Magnuson) has become the first tag team to our knowledge to capture another tag team title during their WLW title reign. The Black Hand Warriors marched into Dynamo Pro Wrestling with the “Manager of Champions” Travis Cook leading the way as they ended the Bumrush Brothers (Shorty Biggs and Outtkast) 22 month long reign as Champs. The turning point in the match was a low blow heard around the world, as DeLorean took advantage on Shorty when the referee had his back turned to seal the victory and capture the Dynamo Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions.

Brian & Lori Davis had recently lost everything in a house fire, including their seven-year-old son. Fortunately, they had friends who were ready to lend a helping hand.

Brian, Lori, and Brian’s sister Lindsay were in attendance for St. Louis Anarchy’s Benefit Bash in Alton, Illinois. Members of the Anarchy roster were friends of the family and set up the event to raise money for the Davises; all of the proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise raffles went directly to the family.

As usual, St. Louis Anarchy presented a loaded lineup; Ring Of Honor stars Michael Elgin, Kyle O’Reilly, and A.C.H. were on the card as well as west-coast standout B-Boy. Several competitors made their debuts for the promotion and others made their returns after long absences.

Some people on the show were more concerned about their own matters, one of those being ring announcer/manager Greg Jovi. He had returned as a ring announcer for Yuletide Terror, but he still harbored deep-seated resentment toward the Anarchy fans. He lashed out at the fans in attendance at the start of the show before being run off by the Hooligans.

The Hooligans fended off a strong effort by the Two-Star Heroes (Matt Knicks & Chris Castro) and vowed that they would give the same treatment to the Young Bucks on March 1st. The fans in attendance had less than flattering sentiments regarding Matt & Nick Jackson.

Brandon Espinosa was in the rare position of being a fan favorite against “The Money” Matt Cage. Cage offered Espinosa some cash to “go down”, but Espinosa misinterpreted Cage’s intentions at first. Espinosa took the payoff but attacked Cage anyway to kick-start the bout; Espy went on to win a tough battle.

Chaos was the order of the day in a six-way dance featuring newcomers to the Anarchy roster. “Showtime” Bradley Charles and Geek Singh formed a temporary alliance to eliminate the competition, but SBC double-crossed Singh by rolling him up for a surprise pin. That left Charles one-on-one with Alex Castle, but Castle would emerge victorious as he continues to gain fan support in SLA.

The fans recognized Jeff O’Shea as “Not Matt Cage”; O’Shea had filled in for Cage as Castle’s tag partner at a previous show. That brought Cage himself to the ring to shake hands with his counterpart. O’Shea and Mallaki Matthews took on the duo of Alex The Big Owl and Gorgeous Jordan Lacey; The Big Owl showed a more aggressive side in picking up the win.

B-Boy had once teamed up with Homicide and his resume includes experience with IWA Mid-South, Wrestling Society X, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Jersey All-Pro Wrestling. However, this was his first appearance in the St. Louis area and he was facing a crowd favorite in A.C.H. A.C.H. has been making a name for himself in ROH as well as other national promotions…despite the difference in overall experience, A.C.H. was able to get the tapout win over “The New Age Punisher” and earn his respect!

Mike Sydal showed off his yoga-enhanced flexibility on a few occasions, but it wasn’t quite enough to take down the popular Bolt Brady; Bolt got the win after several innovative maneuvers.

Despite Michael Elgin‘s national reputation, the fans were solidly behind Jojo Bravo in his quest to topple the powerhouse. Jojo did his best to wear down the “Unbreakable” one with sleeperholds, but Elgin finally defeated him after a turnbuckle powerbomb followed by his signature spiral bomb. It appeared Bravo had impressed Elgin, but Elgin mowed him down with a clothesline after raising his beaten opponent’s hand.

With a title shot at Gerald James in his future, Kyle O’Reilly sought to pick up some momentum heading into the Gateway To Anarchy weekend. Evan Gelistico was far from a mere “stepping stone” in O’Reilly’s journey and matched the current Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champion move for move. In the end, O’Reilly got the victory and now looks to capture the gold in St. Louis Anarchy!

Adam Raw returned to SLA to face Ricky Starks...with the recent trend of “old school” in wrestling, the two used several moves that you wouldn’t normally see in an Anarchy ring like the bearhug and iron claw. Raw got the win with a familiar-looking combination of moves: A big boot to the face followed by a legdrop off the ropes.

The main event was a wild brawl right out of the gate as Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett rushed the ring to battle with Anarchy Champion Gerald James and Jeremy Wyatt. Dorian Victor wasn’t above getting physically involved so it was a three-on-two situation at times. Despite the odds, Fitchett managed to plant James with a cradle piledriver to pick up the win over the champion!

The night wasn’t quite over as James, Wyatt, and Victor went on the attack once again. Greg Jovi ran into the ring to attack his former protege Fitchett and that brought out the Hooligans. Alex The Big Owl and Jordan Lacey weren’t far behind…but out of nowhere, Lacey turned on his tag team partner! At the end of the show, Lacey stood tall alongside James, Wyatt, Victor, and Jovi.

While the events of the wrestling show were memorable for the fans in attendance, it was special in a different way for the Davises…their friends at St. Louis Anarchy had put on a great show and given them some much-needed financial support in a tough time of their lives.

A new commissioner would be revealed. A massive newcomer would make his in-ring debut. Several championships would be defended. Those were the stories going into the first show of 2014 for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Alliance.

Brandon Espinosa and Lynn Mephisto continued their habit of kicking off the show. As the two ran their mouths in the usual fashion, they took the time to hurl insults at former senior official Jim Harris in the audience. They were no strangers to the retired referee as Mephisto had manhandled Harris at previous shows. At that moment, ring announcer Ben Simon got a text message from the as-yet-unrevealed new commissioner…the two would have to participate in the night’s battle royal as well as their scheduled tag match.

Da’Marius Jones had a rough night ahead of him as he was the first opponent for the huge Barackus. The super heavyweight had made his first appearance at the December show by costing Dave Osborne his shot at then-champion Espinosa. Jones gave it his best shot but couldn’t overcome the size disadvantage…Barackus dropped him with a clawhold Flatliner and the referee stopped the match, awarding it to the big man by way of a knockout.

Mephisto had an opportunity to regain the Battle Royal Title he lost in December…and earn a shot at Television Champion Jimmy D in the process. However, five other men had the same goal, including defending Battle Royal Champion Stevie K and Mephisto’s own partner Espinosa. This time around, Gary Jackson would not be an outside factor…The Webmaster earned the victory with no questions asked. He took advantage of several instances of miscommunication to eliminate both Mephisto and Espinosa, retaining his title and moving on to a shot at Jimmy D.

With his manager Sean Orleans absent due to a suspension, Jackson Whitechapel had to fly solo against his recent rival Moondog Rover. The lack of focus on Whitechapel’s part may have been his undoing as the fan favorite cruised to victory, getting the pin after a huge spinebuster.

Junior Heavyweight Champion had been dealing with challenges from Ace Hawkins for several months. He scored a tainted victory over Ace in October, then lost to him in a non-title King Of St. Louis Cable Tournament bout in November. Wilder battled Hawkins and Da’Marius Jones in a triple threat matchup in December; the opportunistic “Wolf” got a cheap pin on Jones, but Ace remained in contention.

Hawkins teamed with J-Mal Swagg against the unusual team of Wilder and Flaming Freddie Fury.

The bout started fast as all four men brawled, not giving Ben Simon the opportunity to announce the match stipulation. In the end, Wilder resorted to a low blow on Hawkins and got disqualified…he may have escaped from a worse beating on that night, but cost himself a different opportunity. As Ben announced after the bell, the winners of the match would name the stipulation for February’s Wilder-Hawkins title match! Hawkins wanted a no-disqualification match, thus keeping Wilder from taking the easy way out of another title defense. However, Wilder felt he had already proven himself to be the better man and wanted Ace to put something on the line as well: His Missouri Wrestling Revival “Sexiest Wrestler” award! The February matchup will be title belt vs. award plaque!

Webmaster Stevie K had a shot at double gold as he sought to add the Wild World Of Wrestling Television Championship to his Battle Royal Title. However, Jimmy D wasn’t about to let his third title reign end so quickly…when the going got tough, D took a walk and got counted out to save his title.

Big Dave Osborne seemed to be in a sportsmanlike mood as he took on A.J. Williams. It was a battle of power and size against speed and agility, but an outside factor would decide the outcome. Barackus made another appearance and the distraction led to Osborne falling prey to Williams’ superkick. The big man laid out Osborne with his clawhold Flatliner after the match, making another statement at the expense of the former Heavyweight Champ.

The main event of the evening had bad blood on all sides…new Heavyweight Champion Brian James teamed up with former titleholder Gary Jackson against Espinosa and Mephisto. The referee had trouble maintaining law and order and soon it erupted into a full-scale fight. The official counted all four men out of the ring but that didn’t end the war by a longshot!

Barackus entered the ring and assisted Espinosa and Mephisto in their assault on James and Jackson, revealing his allegiance to the self-proclaimed young guns of the promotion.

Jackson was handcuffed to the ropes as the trio focused their attention on Brian James, but the new commissioner finally revealed himself and ordered a stop to the attack: It was Jim Harris!

Harris acted swiftly, suspending Barackus for a month after his repeated interference in matches. He announced that Espinosa would get a title rematch with James in February, but it would be his ONLY rematch for the gold. Finally, he announced that he had a surprise for Mephisto…and we would all have to wait until the February show to find out what that surprise is!

February 8th is already shaping up to be a major event with two titles on the line…new Commissioner Jim Harris has already made his first step in restoring law and order to the MMWA!

For the second time in his career Brandon Espinosa lays claim to the MMWA Heavyweight Championship.

By Patrick Brandmeyer

It was a long and winding road between title reigns for Brandon Espinosa.

He had held the Junior Heavyweight, Television, and Battle Royal Championships in the MMWA, but the “big belt” is the goal of any wrestler in a promotion. Winning the King Of St. Louis Cable Tournament in October of 2011 paved the way for him to challenge for the Heavyweight Title…and he definitely helped his cause by defeating then-champion Gary Jackson in the finals.

Many people expected him to cash in his opportunity at the earliest possible show…but he bided his time until he was ready. He suffered a disqualification loss to Jackson in December, but was granted a rematch in January 2012 and finally won the belt at that time.

During that time period, Espinosa was branching out in his wrestling career. He had become a consistent competitor on the roster of Ohio Valley Wrestling and also won championships in other Midwest promotions. With his focus divided, one had to wonder if the MMWA Heavyweight Title was foremost on his mind. After successful title defenses against Ace Hawkins and LaMarcus Clinton, he needed help from bodyguard Eric Brewer to hang onto the gold against the former champion Gary Jackson in April. Espinosa lost the title back to Gary in May and disappeared from the St. Louis wrestling scene for most of the calendar year.

While Espinosa traveled all over the Midwest and made his name on the national scene, he felt like there was unfinished business on the home front. When he made his surprise return to the South Broadway Athletic Club in December, he made his intentions clear: He wanted to regain his championship status.

He wasted no time in defeating Max Archer for the Junior Heavyweight Title, but another man had his eye on the Heavyweight Title: Espinosa’s former trainee Dave Osborne. Osborne had won the second annual King Of St. Louis Cable Tournament and wanted the belt for himself.

Espinosa was sidetracked by another name for his past as A.J. Williams returned to the ring after a lengthy absence. The two renewed their rivalry with a thrilling twenty-minute time-limit draw in January, then Espy cost Williams his chance to win the T.V. Title in February against Jimmy D. While this was going on, Osborne captured the Heavyweight belt from Jackson…meaning Espinosa had a new target at the top of the mountain.

Despite his issue with A.J., Espinosa’s primary goal never changed. When Osborne signed an open contract to defend his title at the June show, Espinosa was one of two men(along with Gary Jackson) to step up to the plate. Even after losing the Junior Heavyweight belt to A.J. earlier in the evening, Espy was ready to reclaim South Broadway’s top prize.

The chaotic nature of a triple threat match came into play as Osborne seemed to have the advantage over Jackson with a submission hold. However, Espinosa stunned him with a flying kick off the second rope and scored the pin, winning the Heavyweight Title once again!

You can see the anger in Dave Osborne’s eyes as he recovers from Espinosa’s blow to the back of his head. Can the student become focus enough to overcome the his teacher and new MMWA Champion Brandon Espinosa?

Espinosa won’t have much time to rest on his laurels as the challengers will be lining up. Former titleholders Osborne and Jackson both want their shots at the told. Old rivals like Ace Hawkins may have their eyes on the top spot. Will A.J. Williams be satisfied with the Jr. Heavyweight Title or will he want to dethrone Espy once again? We’ll find out in due time…but for now, Brandon Espinosa is the top guy in the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Alliance!

On September 25th I had the opportunity for a double shot of wrestling action. First off I made my way to Hillsdale Missouri for a FREE MMWA-SICW show sponsored by the Hillsdale Police department.

A beautiful day that saw the community along with the Mayor of Hillsdale come out to check out wrestling action, during the day I spoke to many of the fans who told me this was the very first time they had a chance to see pro wrestling live.

Also in attendance was our friend Patrick Brandmeyer who got the chance to join Herb Simmons at the commentator table. Recently we advertised the MMWA-SICW open door tryout and I was able to meet for the very first time Ben Simon who impressed the management so much that he earned the Announcing job for a company that he grew up watching.

The fans also had the chance to see a true wrestling legend in person as Cowboy Bob Orton was in attendance.

The day saw some great wrestling action, plus MMWA-SICW and the Hillsdale Police Department gave away free concessions, plus gift bags, soccer balls and bicycles throughout the day.

I am going to share with you a few pictures of the days events and after the last one click onto my photobucket for a complete look at all them. MMWA-SICW returned to Fairmont Illinois later that night for a great show that my good friend Mike Van Hoogstraat was able to capture so please check back for MWR in the future for this and all your MMWA-SICW news.

Click here to see all the great pictures from MMWA-SICW in Hillsdale Missouri.

Brandon Espinosa was not happy with being put in a Pinata –on –a-pole match and made Super Castaldi

Brandon Espinosa uses the Pinata on Castaldi and the candy went flying. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The children of Hillsdale took advantage of Castaldi’s misfortune and was treated to FREE candy. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Brandon Espinosa d. Super Castaldi I in a pinata-on-a-pole match

Ron Powers is one of the most powerful men in the Midwest as young Chase King found out. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Chase King finds himself on the wrong side of RON POWERS in Hillsdale MO(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Herb Simmons and Bob Orton take in the destruction of Powers on up and comer Chase King. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Abernathy and Gelistico look up and finds a human missile on the way. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Mat Fitchett hits the mark. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Vega explodes on the outside.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Triple team by Vega, Fitchett and O’Neil on Gary J leads the team to a strong win in the opener. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The Hi-Tech Dinosaurs(Davey Vega, Billy McNeil, & Mat Fitchett) d. The Submission Squad(Evan Gelistico, Pierre Abernathy, & Gary Jay). Vega wheelbarrowed Gary into a Codebreaker by McNeil, then they held Gary in that position for Fitchett to hit a Lionsault to the back! Vega got the pin on Gary after that triple-team.

The battle spilled outside of the ring into the merchandise table. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Cook ducked a chair that went through the wall and went on top of the table to come down on the monster Rudolph. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Anytime that you go up against Rudolph you will have to know that the evil mastermind Sadie Blaze will be there to strike. Cook knows this all to well and looks to be fed up with it.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The ref tries to stop Rudolph but it would take the whole locker room to separate these two. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

-Tyler Cook fought Alexandre Rudolph(w/ Sadie Blaze) to a double disqualification when the two brawled outside the ring once again.

After accidentally nailing his partner, Shorty Biggs had a laugh at the distraught KC Karrington. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

-The Ego Express d. The Bumrush Brothers; K.C. Karrington was thrown out of the ring and appeared to suffer a knee injury, drawing ring announcer Wesley and the referee over to check on him. This conveniently left no one to count the pin when OuTtKaSt had Steven Kennedy covered after a double-team powerbomb. Karrington turned out to be playing possum and eliminated Shorty Biggs from the equation, then tripped up KaSt as he attempted to climb the turnbuckles. The Egos finished off KaSt with a double neckbreaker and SSK got the pinfall.

Is Amy Hennig the very best in the Midwest today? Ask Amy and she will tell you so. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The Great Cheyenne(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Amy Hennig feels the power of the Great Cheyenne. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Hennig and The Great Cheyenne had called a truce but when the Great Cheyenne “stole” a pinfall from Santana G, Hennig took exception to it.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

MsChif came to the aid of popular Santana G after Hennig and The Great Cheyenne double teamed her. In the end Hennig and the Great Cheyenne was on the receiving end of standing moonsaults. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley

-The Great Cheyenne won a triple threat match with Amy Hennig and Santana G; Santana seemed to be in the crosshairs of both Hennig and Cheyenne, though only one competitor could win the match. Hennig delivered the Perfectplex on Santana, but Cheyenne threw Hennig out of the ring and stole the pin on Santana! Despite the circumstances of the finish, Hennig and Cheyenne attacked Santana after the bell…which brought MsChif into the ring for the save!

HVW Champion Kahagas (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Trent Stone locks up with Kahagas.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Kahagas may have wished he did not take the high risk move at the top on this one. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Kahagas is feeling the power of Stone.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Kicks in the corner took their toll on the Champion.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The battle escalated to the outside.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

Kahagas just nailed a killer kick on the challenger. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

From the land of the rising sun comes the Tokyo Monster.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

The spear has earned Stone many of victories in 2010, if he hits this we will have a new HVW Champion.(Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

A sign of respect from Trent Stone and Kahagas. (Photo Credit Brian Kelley)

-Kahagas d. Trent Stone in a hard-fought matchup to retain the Heavyweight Title. Kahagas was able to avoid Stone’s trademark spear on two occasions…he escaped the setup for the Stone Crush and got the win with an exploder suplex turned straight into a small package pin! Stone appeared ready to leave the ring without accepting a handshake from the champion…at that point, Wyatt & Sterling jumped the champion! Stone, who has had issues with the Kansas City Killers in the past, decided to re-enter the ring and even the odds…leaving the champion and challenger standing tall in the ring!

Helloooo wrestling fans as the great Bill Kersten would say. I am thrilled that today we are celebrating our 1,000 post here at Missouri Wrestling Revival. Throughout the past two and half years you have been able to come to MWR site to check out upcoming shows, interviews and stories of the top stars of not only the Midwest but around the world.

MWR started out simple enough from one of my best friends Josh Ray who had the dream to bring attention to wrestling in the Midwest. He worked hard to get the site going and along with myself and Kari Williams the site was off and running.

Thankfully we had a good friend Peter Hahn whos sister Rachel, is a wonderful graphic artist that came up with the logo that has became the face of MWR.

I have been so busy getting ready for school, preparing for my sons school year and other projects that I have yet to unveil some great new logo’s from our good friends at Awesome bomb radio so no time is better than the start of a new thousand. Adult MWR fans take a chance to check out the Awesome Bomb Radio for some wild and crazy interviews with some of the top wrestlers in the game today.

Everyone at MWR has worked hard to be respectful and polite to each promotion, wrestler and fans that we have gone across.

I have a strong belief that to be successful that no one can do it alone. In the history of MWR there have been some wonderful supporters of the site that is vital to MWR’S place in wrestling today. I am going to attempt to thank everyone that has made MWR possible. At every promotion we have worked with there has been not only promoter, wrestlers but also referees, ring announcer, security, video crew and fans that I have nothing but love and respect for. Several have become close friends, while others I have not seen in a long time, though time has past by and we may have not seen each other this post is still for you.

1) The Fans: I hope that you have found MWR a place that you come to enjoy. You are the most important piece to the puzzle to making a show a success. At times we are very busy at a show but I want you to know that I thank you for clicking on the site and we are always excited to get to meet you. Your support for the hard working men and women of the sport keeps the hope alive for pro wrestlers to live their dream. If you have not checked out a local show near you I urge you to check out a promotion soon.

We have made many Friends thanks to the MWR site. Drew and Gary are two great guys that I met at local shows, they knew us from the work we do thanks to MWR. During the Wrestling Legends on tour the three of us got to pose with some of the top wrestling stars ever in the sport. These are just two of the many fans that we are proud to call our friends.

2) The Promoters: These guys are judged, hated and sometimes forgotten. It takes a special person to risk there money and spend their time to run a show. The cold hard fact is that it is a LOT of work to be one and at times luck to be successful in this profession. Without them doing the ground work a show never gets off the ground. They have opened their doors to us and I hope they know we have been honored to try our best to get the word out about the dates of their show.

3) The Wrestlers, managers and referees: Call it a sport or call it entertainment, one can not deny that it takes true talent to make a show a success..

During the years I have been all around the Midwest checking out shows in the big cities and the small towns and I can say that I have no doubt that there is no athletes that cares more for their fans that the wrestlers.

We have been at a few shows that have had less than 30 people, that did not stop the wrestlers from going out there and giving it their all, then took the time to come meet the fans.

I watched time and time where they have took that extra moment to talk, pose for pictures and sign autographs to the kids of all ages and thanking them for their hard earn money to watch them do what they love.

There have been many shows where the wrestlers have donated their time and skills with no pay to support a fundraiser for a local family or school.

No matter what state we are in, or the three letters of the promotions every wrestles have the same goal and that is to entertain you with the best of their abilities.

This past weekend I was in Lincoln Illinois for the Arts and Balloon Festival where the a huge crowd witness some exciting wrestling action. One of the many talented wrestlers in the Midwest today, Knight Wagner asked if he could do a promo commemorating the moment that so many fans had a chance to see what wrestling was like in our area.

I was honored by the kind words that he said in the promo for our website in hopes that you the fans will check us out to find out where you can see the next wrestling show in your area. I want to share with you the words of Knight Wagner.

To be honest there have been many such compliments given to the MWR family from many many wrestlers that understand that this site is built for the fans, the promoters and wrestlers themselves.
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It has been a pleasure to work each and every one of you. I have seen some of the craziest, weirdest and breathtaking matches ever in the past two plus years at MWR. The love that you have for wrestling is only equaled by the desire to give the fans their money’s worth. MWR could not be as successful or fun without your cooperation

4) Dubray Tallman: The old saying is behind every successful man is a good women. Thankfully I have Dubray to help support me while we drive the six hours roundtrip for many shows. There is no group of friends that live close enough that we can ride with to make the trip faster or cheaper. In less than a year and half we have made over eighty shows in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois. At times the site takes away from what we can do elsewhere or together as it takes time to write and edit everything. Prior to the show Dubray works on one of the most popular articles that we have Dubi meets the fans. Often Dubi Meets the Fans is the among the top post for weeks on end . Dubray I love you.

5) Josh and Sara Ray: The founder of MWR is also one of my best friends. Josh has a great mind and love for the business. If only the two of us lived closer no telling how much more successful MWR would be. They don’t get much better than Josh and Sara

6) Kari Williams: MWR’S number one writer, you have read Kari’s articles from the inception of the site. Young and talented there is no doubt that you will find Kari’s work in a much bigger forum one day. Dubray and I always are thrilled to see Kari and her mother Joan.

7) Matt Murphy: Matt is one of the most underrated wrestling minds today. He has always been willing to give his advice and assistance for the site. In fact I didn’t take his advice early on and paid for it. Lesson learned, listen to Matt Murphy. Seriously Matt was kind enough to have his book showcased here at MWR in a weekly article that many MWR fans loved. If you missed it, there is a link at the top of the page that you can go to do catch up. MWR fans if you have read this article or book PLEASE take the time to review it on Amazon.com here.

8) Greg Anthony – Anthony brings to the site, a fan that is talented enough to excel in the sport today as a wrestler. I am never bored and often surprised to what he has to say in the MWR favorite the Golden Circle. As with Murphy if you have missed any of his articles I urge you take a look at the top of the page and enjoy.

9) Patrick Brandmeyer- As much as I love local professional wrestling, the truth is at times it can be nearly impossible to find out information on the past as well as the current history of the business. I often look to my good friend Patrick Brandmeyer for the what, how and why in the St Louis wrestling market and beyond. If a promotion wants a good source of advertisement then most defiantly contact Brandmeyer to make his way to your show.

10) ST Louis Wrestling Community and the Nose Bleed seats- Many people think that the man known as the Crimefighter and his website the ST Louis Wrestling Community are a competitor of the MWR website. The truth is that I have always enjoyed working with Crimfighter and his colleagues from the Nose Bleed SeatsChris Lee and MOAV5706. I often use the site and their advice for articles that you read here. They have had some great podcast and they are the number one source for all your wrestling in Central Illinois. Check them out here.

11) MWR T-shirts- Nothing brings a smile to my face than seeing a fan or wrestler wear a MWR Shirt. In the four states that we cover we have given away or sold 100’s of our shirts to wonderful people such as yourself. We started out with free drawings during intermission to a lucky fan.

Fans like this wonderful women has been thrilled to catch a MWR T-Shirt from a Midwest Superstar (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogsraat)

Then one day at PWP I was taken photos when Murder Militia’s #1 Brett Young came to the ring wearing an MWR shirt . That kicked a light bulb in my head, why don’t we have a wrestler wear to ring and unlike the greedy Young who kept his shirt, we have them throw it to a lucky fan. This promotion has been more than a success and I would like to thank all the wrestlers who have worn the shirt in the past in this promotion. The fans I feel have had a lot of fun in catching them . Most recently one fan told me that her daughter was so impressed with catching the t-shirt and having her picture taken with the wrestler(Jimmy Karryt) that she has that picture of her and him as the background picture on their computer. You can not purchase moments as special as that.

Words can not describe how important my friend Nick Ridenour has been this year in working with us to have quality and affordable t-shirts with the small budget we have.

12) MWR Top Draws – A very popular feature at MWR is the art work from MWR’S Dartallion Allen JR. Allen brings to life your favorite stars in a cartoon style. Mwr fans look in the very near future a chance to vote for who you think Allen Jr should draw in the MWR Classic Wrestler Top Draw. Till then take the time to click above to see one of Midwest brightest artist today.

13) MWR Trading Cards- This is my new passion and a set that I take great pride in. A worthy collectable for the fans of MWR, the set features the stars of the Midwest and around the world that we have all come to love or hate. We started off with the MWR award winners for 2008 and 2009, card number one was the 2008 MWR Tag team of the year the Northstar Express Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz with Pnut, the three who is awesome in promos looked just as good in a trading card.

“The Future” Donovan Ruddick takes the time to pose with young fans that had purchased his MWR Trading Card prior to him autographing the collectable that fans have been clamoring for the past few months.

Since then we have added a who’s who of stars in the Midwest including three people that I am forever grateful who brought worldwide recognition to the set, site and other wrestlers of the series and they are international stars MsChif, Davey Richards and Ring of Honor World Champion Tyler Black.

A big thank you goes out to Alyssa Major for her amazing talent on these cards.

As of press time we have announced Nineteen trading cards and each and every individual brings their own flair and worth to your collection. Look for many other superstars of the ring to grace their presence in the set. In fact I am so excited to name them that I need to stop writing about it.

For a look at these card check out our checklist at the number one site for wrestling trading cards Wrestlingtradingcards.comhere.

14) MWR Photographers- People that know me, know that I love photos of wrestling. Often I will go to a website and see results from a show but never know what that person looks like. At MWR you get a chance to put a name with a face in an exciting fashion

I am blessed to be able to have some of the great photographers in the Midwest at MWR that allow us to use their work and expensive equipment for the site. A very underrated aspect to the scene is a photographer, these hard working professionals are able to capture that moment when your favorite wrestler goes for that high risk move, or the final moment when a wrestler wins the championship. With pictures you capture history.

Mike Van Hoogstraat, Gary Giaffoglione, Bill Smith and Scott Fieldstein are regulars with MWR who donate the pictures for you the fans to enjoy. I love all of these guys for their contribution and friendship.

15) Absolute Wrestling Radio: Amazingly when I wrote this article for 1,000 post I had somehow forgotten to recognize the AWR family. It’s not that they were not worthy or I hadn’t thought of them its just that I thought I had them done. Make no mistake about it that AWR was very crucial to MWR inception to the wrestling world. Based out of St Louis AWR has been a place where fans can listen and call in to talk about the WWE, TNA , local wrestling and MMA.

Mark Bland Matt Kreuger and Andy Echle have been a lot of fun throughout the time that I have known them and have created some of the most memorable moments in MWR history. They have always done a wonderful job getting the word of MWR out to the masses. We look forward to all of your hard wok and friendship.

Promotions

In the past two and half years MWR has covered and worked with each of these promotions in one form or another. I don’t want to thank anyone in particular because of the fear of forgetting anyone. Once again there are many great people that are in each of these promotions who have made a positive impact for the MWR site.

I hope that you check out these promotions live in the very near future.

Thank you MWR Fans and we hope to celebrate 1,500 soon. Till then look for all the exciting developments and happenings in the world of Pro Wrestling in the near future at MWR.

Sincerely,

Brian Kelley
Owner/ Editor of Missouri Wrestling Revival

My good friend Josh Ray and I spoke recently about the celebration of the MWR 1,000 POST. He stated that he had an article he would like to share with you so we started MWR post 1 with Josh Ray so it is only fitting that we end 1,000 with my good friend Josh.

By Josh Ray

Even though I left Missouri Wrestling Revival in the talented hands of Brian Kelley and Kari Williams a year ago to pursue other pro wrestling opportunities, as founder of this website/community I am extremely attached to any of MWR‘s successes and failures. It doesn’t matter whether the ideas came from my own mind or the mind of a friend, because once it is implemented by the site, it becomes part of the family.

As family, career, and life in general have siphoned time from one of my passions, most of my Midwest pro wrestling knowledge comes in spurts from MWR. It is a great site that has helped in more ways than it will ever get credit for, and that is due to a combined effort from contributors to MWR, promoters, wrestlers, behind-the-scenes staff, and of course fans! When Brian and I chatted last week and he informed me that the 1000th post was fast approaching, I wanted to get involved.

A lot is said of a wrestler’s desire and love of the business. Sometimes paid in hot dogs and other time not paid at all, these men and women travel at great physical, emotional, and financial expense because they love to entertain and they strive to improve. Unfortunately, there are other pieces of this puzzle that often go overlooked. These overlooked pieces are evident in those train wrecks that inevitably occur. Great wrestlers can make a great match, but those that work in supporting roles (the overlooked pieces I am referring to) are what make an entire event a success. In fact, those working in these supporting roles can make or break everything from the attendance to the safety at the show.

Those in these supporting roles include the promoter himself/herself, the booker, the referee, ring announcer, managers/valets, sound man/woman, camera crew, photographer, security, bloggers/journalists, and other volunteers. These men and women are no less a part of the wrestling business than the wrestlers themselves, but they often do what they do with little or no fanfare. There is no World Wrestling Entertainment developmental program for most of these roles, and many serving in these capacities are expected to do the work for free to pay their dues and to be a part of the show.

Even WWE legend Shawn Michaels acknowledged many of the great supporting members of WWE during his retirement speech on the March 29, 2010 edition of Monday Night RAW:

This is really gonna sound strange to you guys, but there’s a whole lot of people in those big ‘ol trucks out back, there are these guys here holding the camera, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and of course the greatest announcer of all time Jim Ross… but I want to thank all you guys. You guys always made me look better than I ever really was and I so appreciate that.

I want to follow in those great footsteps in this, the 1000th post on Missouri Wrestling Revival, by naming my own MWR “Supporting Roles” All-Star Team. This is by no means definitive and is solely based on my opinion with some input from trusted friends.

Supporting Roles All-Star 1st Team

Booker – Matt Murphy
I have talked with Matt numerous times and know his credentials. This would be the guy to go to in order to get the matches lined up… and the first guy I would talk to to straighten out any backstage issues.

Referees -

Brandon Schmidt

Eric Davis

Both men work hard and want to continue learning. You’d be hard pressed to find two more competent officials to ref a show.

Ring Announcer -

KL Snow

The man with the green socks has a great voice for ring announcing and is one of the nicest men you’ll meet in and out of the ring. He no longer operates in the area, but is worth the money to bring in.

Video -

Skylar Pierce

This guy shoots and edits wrestling video on a regular basis and continues to improve. Watch 3XW’s Outside the Ring on Youtube to see the progression of his video work.

Camera – Jenny Bessman3XW’s video team under the guidance of Skylar Pierce is my logical choice, with Jenny getting the by name selection, but without excluding the video talents of Sean Wilkerson. These guys keep the 3XW machine moving in the right direction by continuing their line of DVDs and providing footage for the 3XW web show Outside the Ring.

Security -Brandon “Bubba” Wacholtz
When I put together the MWR show for November 2009, “Bubba” was my first choice for security. Very professional in a security capacity and anyone that says otherwise has probably deserved being removed from a show.

Backstage Photographer -

Michael R. Van Hoogstraat

Many of the great Midwest wrestler photos from backstage that you see on this site and across the Internet come from this man!

Ringside Photographer -

Gary Giaffoglione

You feel right there in the middle of the action when Gary is at the helm.

Mouthpiece -

Magic Man

I extended the offer to Magic Man a long time ago… whenever I have a video camera he is always welcome to jump in front of it.

Mouthpiece -

Chad Mylan

Quite honestly, I mark for very few things in this world… but I mark for Chad Mylan. I am a Mylanite.

Booster -

Chuck Maddox

A genuinely nice guy with a love for professional wrestling that many do not come close to matching. Chuck is the guy you’d want to work with on any marketing plan or budget.

Journalist/Blogger -

Kari Williams

The resident workhorse at MWR has a career beyond this site that is right around the corner. I am very proud to have met her and often go to her for writing advice.

That is all I have for this, the 1000th post on Missouri Wrestling Revival. Remember, if its worth supporting then support it. If not then run the other way and something better will eventually come along!

Editors Note: Last week MMWA-SICW open their doors literly to all aspiring wrestlers to have the chance to work with the 2009 MWR Promotion of the Year.

MMWA-SICW has five shows in the works for September and in 2010 fans have had the pleasure to see Donovan Ruddick, Brandon Espinosa, Ace Hawkins, Mark Sterling and most recently Mephisto make their way to the promotion.

I am sad to say that I was unable to attend due to prior commitments but I knew that MWR fans would have a great look into the happenings of this historic event thanks to Pro Wrestling expert Patrick Brandmeyer being able to attend as well as MWR Photographer Mike Van Hoogstraat.

I now give you Patrick and Mike with the rundown on the Open door tryouts.

Which one of these aspiring wrestlers and personalities will make a mark in the future at MMWA-SICW?(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

I’ve been fortunate to get fairly close to the local wrestling scene…case in point, being invited by Tim Miller to the MMWA-SICW tryout in East Carondelet this past Thursday. Saw several familiar faces in attendance as well as some Broadway trainees and some out-of-towners.

Some of the familiar faces for MWR fans and new one lined up to speak to Keith Smith, Tim Miller and Jim Harris (Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

The main Broadway representatives were Tim himself, Keith Smith, and referee Jim Harris. They laid out what Broadway has to offer: Exposure in a great wrestling market in front of good audiences, as well as T.V. time(via their local-access program) and a decent payday. Broadway is stepping up their schedule in a major way in September, so the roster will be expanding in the near future…September has the usual shows at South Broadway and East Carondelet as well as their debut in Hillsdale, MO and a return to Fairmont City. The injured A.J. Williams was also in attendance as well as Ace Hawkins.

They had one interviewer/commentator tryout named Ben Simon who did a fine job and will apparently be at their East Carondelet show this weekend.

Blake Steel is one of the best promo men in the sport today, it was no surprise that he was dead on in showing his skills.(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Ben Simon was impressive in his effort to win a spot as a professional announcer, here he gets words from Ian Storm (Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

New faces try their hands on the mic.(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Tim Miller assist the new comers with their promos, with advice and pointers.(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Keith asked why I didn’t try out for that spot…and I didn’t really have a good answer for him. Haven’t gotten behind that particular microphone since the GCW days and wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime!

Those in attendance got a chance to prove themselves behind a microphone and also in the ring. The trainees practiced in the ring with Johnny Courageous while those with more experience under their belt had full-fledged matches with the likes of Courageous, Brandon Espinosa, and Sean Vincent.

Former MMWA-SICW manager The Magic Man is always entertaining and I have him hoping for his return to the promotion for some time now. (Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

The Magic Man was in the house and did a classic promo to kick things off…

Was good to see former GCW competitor Ian Storm in the house as well as Springfield IL’s Blake Steel.

Could moments like this lead to a big feud at MMWA-SICW in the future? My money is on the fact that Steel will not forget Espinosa actions during the tryout.(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Also saw a couple of guys who have flown under the local radar to some extent, Kurt Styles and Rick Stone. One of the more decorated local grapplers was in the house as Eric Allen sought to add another notch to his resume.

A group from Jefferson City arrived later in the tryout…some did better than others.
Espinosa was quick to let one of them know about an early mistake in their practice matchup.

New faces try their hand at the very difficult skill of wrestling.(Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Critiques followed each matchup in the hopes that each wrestler would learn and work to improve. Vincent had a good short sprint with one of the Jeff City upstarts who went by “Bill Murray”(no relation).

Keith Smith and Herb Simmons have seen it all in their many years in the business, they watch the proceedings with a close eye for future talent. (Photo credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

I’m always open to a learning experience and I feel like I’ve learned more in the past few years of wrestling viewing than at any other time in my nineteen(!) years of following the industry. I have all the respect in the world for anyone who steps in a wrestling ring because I couldn’t do what they do. I don’t think lack of in-ring experience disqualifies a person completely from having an opinion about wrestling…though I suppose I would respect the opinion of a wrestler over a non-wrestler.

Look for recaps from both of the shows that MMWA-SICW had in August in the near future at MWR.

With Shorty Biggs having car problems and unable to be at the building the KC Karrington takes the opportunity to make himself a part of the match that saw OuTtKaSt pick up a hard earned victory. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

Kennedy gets a shot in on OuTtKaSt.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

KC Karrington drills OuTtKaSt with a chair in a disgusting and cowardly move as Kennedy keeps the ref at bay. (Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

The Ego’s were relentless in their attack.(Photo Credit Mike Van Hoogstraat)

-OuTtKaSt d. Steven Kennedy with a rollup after Kennedy missed the Magic Bullet. K.C. Karrington attacked KaSt after the match(Shorty Biggs was not in the building due to travel problems) and destroyed him with a chair, leaving him bloody in the ring.

-Unfortunately, the show was cut short by a power outage during intermission as a huge thunderstorm hit the area. We waited for a while to see if the lights would return or if they could light the ring another way, but they finally called it off and offered discounts for their next show in August…rest of the card was scheduled to be Adam Rich vs. Evan Gelistico, Shorty vs. Karrington, Dan Walsh vs. Kevin X, and Davey Vega & Trent Stone vs. Mark Sterling & Jeremy Wyatt.

Missouri Wrestling Revival will have exclusive comments from the Bumrush Brothers Shorty Biggs and OuTtKaSt in the near future discussing their feud with the Ego Express that has the looks to not end anytime soon.